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The Incredible, Edible Egg Safety Quiz

2017-08-17T15:38:04+00:00

This nutritious, delicate food is a part of many food service menus as a main course and one of the most common ingredients. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture says Americans consume an average of 234 eggs per person per year. Eggs have also been the source of some significant foodborne outbreaks in the U.S. from one specific type of Salmonella. While eggs are an important source of protein in the diet, an estimated 1 in 20,000 eggs in the U.S. supply will contain the SE (Salmonella Enteritidis) bacteria and can cause illness if eaten raw in foods or not thoroughly cooked before consumption.

The Incredible, Edible Egg Safety Quiz2017-08-17T15:38:04+00:00

Fetching a Pail of Good, Safe Water

2017-08-17T15:39:31+00:00

In the ambitious fight for food safety, don’t overlook the safety and quality of the crystal clear liquid coming out of your faucet. The United States has controls in place to ensure we have potable (safe) water that is treated and filtered to make it taste better and have no odor. Water standards and treatment are also important in food service so we don’t need a repairman twice a year to chip away the block of lime on the dishwashers heating element with a hammer and chisel in order to replace it.

Fetching a Pail of Good, Safe Water2017-08-17T15:39:31+00:00

Food Safety for Pork – Part 1

2017-08-17T15:40:29+00:00

If you haven’t tasted pork lately because you are not a red meat fan (or the other white meat), there are a few changes in the nutritional value of pork, the pork cooking temperatures, and the variety of ways we consume it. The amount of pork the average American consumes hovers around 50 pounds a year.  Although pork is the number one meat consumed in the world, there are some religious restrictions on consumption of pork. U.S. consumption of pork dropped during the 1970s, largely because its high fat content caused health-conscious Americans to choose leaner meats. Today's hogs have much less fat due to improved genetics, breeding and feeding.

Food Safety for Pork – Part 12017-08-17T15:40:29+00:00

The Cold Chain in the Hot Summer Months

2017-08-17T15:42:36+00:00

Keeping foods at proper cold holding temperatures (between 28°F and 41°F maximum or 0°F for frozen food) from the food manufacturers to your customers has to be one of our strongest links to safe food. Sometimes that is referred to in the food industry as “maintaining the COLD CHAIN”. Any slip ups in the cold chain, and we have a weak link. If you accept the food, you have greatly increased your foodborne illness risk and compromised your food quality.

The Cold Chain in the Hot Summer Months2017-08-17T15:42:36+00:00

Routes of Foodborne Illness & Germs

2017-08-17T15:43:00+00:00

From your sniffling coworker to the raw chicken on your kitchen cutting board, everyday life is full of potential infectious hazards. With germs so common and seemingly everywhere, knowing how germs spread is vital to preventing infection and foodborne illness.  There are seven possible ways for the transmission of bacteria and viruses to take place.  Although some of these microorganisms in our environment are good for us and protect us, disease causing pathogens are the germs or bad guys.

Routes of Foodborne Illness & Germs2017-08-17T15:43:00+00:00

Handling Leafy Green Salad

2017-08-17T15:43:23+00:00

We have had several produce outbreaks of foodborne disease from our lettuce, spinach, and other greens in the last several years that have been devastating to the produce growers and distributors, retail grocery stores, restaurants, and consumers.

Handling Leafy Green Salad2017-08-17T15:43:23+00:00

Food Packaging Safety in a Vacuum

2017-08-17T15:43:45+00:00

Extending the shelf life of fresh foods has come a long way in the food industry since curing meats with salt and sugar or canning vegetables with heat processing. The food service and consumer markets needed some better visual packages to draw the eye to the freshness factor and the technology of food packaging has filled our dinner plate. Vacuum packaging and modified atmosphere packaging, shortened to “MAP”, are the terms used for the method of food packaging used every time we choose convenience over more complex scratch meal preparation. According to industry statistics, billions of packages of vacuum and MAP-packaged foods flood the marketplace today. In both modified-atmosphere and vacuum packaging, food is packaged in a pouch made of barrier film.

Food Packaging Safety in a Vacuum2017-08-17T15:43:45+00:00

The Eleven Commandments of Food Safety at Your Restaurant

2017-08-17T15:44:07+00:00

Lists help us remember all kinds of information. Given the list of recent national foodborne outbreaks in the news, keep repeating this list to your food service team. They are kind of like “commandments”. As a professional in a food service facility we should think of the very basic food safety concepts that every crew member should aspire to learn, even though this list may have different priorities based on your menu. The first 3 apply to anyone who serves food, from a bag of popcorn to a full course meal. As chefs or managers, if we can “set the example” by repeating good food safety practices visibly to the crew, it will help them understand how important it is to the success of your facility. Thou shalt:

The Eleven Commandments of Food Safety at Your Restaurant2017-08-17T15:44:07+00:00

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